Stoudemire didn't make much of an impact in the Knicks' 106-91 loss to the Heat. He played four first-half minutes and finished with two points and one rebound.

He rolled his ankle in the Knicks' loss in Indiana on Jan. 16. "As the days went on, the swelling was decreasing and decreasing, so I knew I'd be back sooner [rather] than later,'' he said. "It's 100 percent. I feel strong, feel good."

Stoudemire had been playing well before the injury, averaging 15.3 points in the four games before he got hurt. "I want to pick up where I left off," he said. "I don't want to take any steps back at all.''

Iman Shumpert missed his second straight game with a sprained right shoulder. It's unclear whether he will return when the Knicks play at Milwaukee Monday. "He's getting better, but he's not ready to go yet," Mike Woodson said. "Still day-to-day."

LeBron James doesn't think holding the Super Bowl here is a bad idea. "The weather's not that bad," he said. "They said it's much better this weekend than it was the previous couple of weekends . . . I think New York is a great city to host any event."

Fast breaks

Kenyon Martin returned from a one-game absence (sprained ankle) and had four points, two rebounds and two blocks . . . Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17 points . . . Guitarist and former Yankee Bernie Williams performed the national anthem.

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